Amazing Chocolate Protein Skillet Cake with a protein peanut butter frosting! This healthy and low calorie chocolate skillet cake uses protein powder and has no sugar, oil or eggs!
Jump to RecipeI was shook by how soft and moist and flavorful this chocolate skillet cake was! And with that peanut butter protein frosting… just a perfect match.
Super easy and quick to make too – thankfully.
Ingredients for Chocolate Protein Skilet Cake
This healthy chocolate protein skillet cake is made with whole wheat pastry flour, uses cocoa powder and are is with chocolate protein powder.
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- Chocolate Protein Powder needed for high protein skillet cake and also replaces most of the ‘sugar’.
I used part whey-caesin Chocolate Milkshake protein powder from Quest Nutrition, and part Chocolate Protein World Whey for this recipe.
Code HAYLSKITCHEN gives a discount on ProteinWorld; - Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1:1 Zero Calorie Sugar Substitute – I use Lakanto, to keep this recipe sugar free; (code HAYLSKITCHEN for a discount here)
- Unsweetened Applesauce for a low fat and low calorie skillet cake recipe
- Melted Butter
- Lemon Juice
- Hot Water
- Baking Soda
For the Peanut Butter Protein Frosting:
- Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
- Vanilla Protein Powder; I used Quest Vanilla since it blends well with the yogurt.
- Peanut Butter Powder, also known as Powdered Peanut Butter. I recommend Lakanto for a sugar free version (the code HAYLSKITCHEN gives you a discount). Or you could use the one from PbFit or PB2 too.
- Some Creamy Peanut Butter! I really recommend American Dream Nut Butter; Super rich, creamy and there’s a lot of flavored options too! HAYLSKITCHEN for a discount here too!
Tips for Best Chocolate Skillet Cake with Protein Powder
This chocolate protein powder skillet cake recipe really is an easy one, but here’s some tips to get it just right!
- Use room temperature applesauce;
This is so the wet ingredients and dry ingredients can mix well to give the perfect chocolate skillet cake.
- Use melted Butter so that it mixes well into the healthy chocolate skillet cake batter.
- Don’t over-mix the batter!
Make sure you gently fold the dry mix into the wet to combine them.
If you over-mix it, the protein powder will make the low calorie skillet cake tough, dense and gummy.
- Taste the batter and see if you need some extra sweetener. I’d recommend using stevia powder to maintain the consistency of the batter and have sugar free and healthy chocolate skillet cake.
- Don’t let the batter sit out too long; Pour immediately into baking pan and bake.
This is to avoid any reactions between the ingredients.
- Don’t over-fill pan or the cake batter will overflow!
- Don’t over-bake the skillet cake or it might get tough; Remove when the tester/knife comes out just dry; Little moisture is okay.
- Let cake cool completely before frosting, or frosting will just melt away.
How to store Low Calorie Cast Iron Skillet Cake Recipe?
This high protein and low calorie cast iron skillet cake recipe keeps well for a meal prep dessert or post workout snack; Freezer friendly too!
Store un-frosted protein powder cast iron skillet cake at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days or with frosting in the fridge for a week.
To freeze the low calorie skillet cake recipe, slice and place in freezer-safe zipper bags or air tight container; They should keep for 2-3 months.
Alternatives for Healthy Chocolate Skillet Cake Recipe
For the perfect low fat but moist high protein healthy chocolate skillet cake recipe, I would highly suggest using the ingredients and brands I recommended; I do have some alternatives you can try. I haven’t testing them all, so I can’t say how your cast iron cake recipe might turn out.
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: All purpose flour or 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in the same amount by weight not cups
- 1:1 Zero Calorie Sugar Replacement: Regular confectioners sugar or coconut sugar (this won’t be sugar free though, and also higher in calories)
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Pumpkin Puree or Mashed Banana
- Melted Butter: Melted Coconut Oil
- Lemon Juice: Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar
Options for the frosting:
- Greek Yogurt: Coconut Yogurt
- Peanut Butter Powder: 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Creamy Peanut Butter
To make Vegan Chocolate Skillet Cake
This skillet chocolate cake recipe has no eggs or milk and can be made Vegan with a plant-based protein powder and dairy free butter or coconut oil.
ProteinWorld has a Vegan protein blend that could work well here (HAYLSKITCHEN for the discount here too).
I haven’t tried pea protein or other plant based ones, so I can’t say how those would work.
More Healthy Chocolate Protein Cake Recipes:
- Chocolate Protein Cake Bars
- Chocolate Peppermint Protein Cake – No Sugar, Oil or Butter!
- Low Carb Chocolate Protein Cake
- Mini Chocolate Protein Cakes – Unbelievable Easy, Healthy Bundts!
- Chocolate Protein Cake Pops
- Black Bean Chocolate Protein Cake – Flourless & Sugar Free
- Protein Chocolate Lava Cake for One
More Protein Skillet Recipes
- Protein Skillet Brownie – Insanely Good and Healthy!
- Chickpea Protein Skillet Cookie – Gluten Free and Vegan
- Easy Chocolate Chip Protein Skillet Cookie
Chocolate Protein Skillet Cake
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, 40g, see post for sub
- ⅓ cup Chocolate Protein Powder (Whey), 30g
- 3½ Tbsp Chocolate Protein Powder (Whey-caesin), 20g
- 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 11g
- 2 Tbsp Zero Calorie 1:1 Sugar Replacement, 24g
- ⅔ tsp Baking Soda
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Applesauce, 80g
- 1 tsp Melted Butter, 5g
- 1½ tsp Lemon Juice
- ½ cup Hot Water, 120ml
Peanut Butter Frosting:
- ½ cup Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt, 121g
- ½ scoop Vanilla Protein Powder, 15g
- 2 Tbsp Peanut Butter Powder, 12g
- ½ Tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter, 8g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8” cast iron skillet.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, whey and whey-casein chocolate protein powders, unsweetened cocoa powder, zero calorie sugar replacement and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, whisk together hot water, applesauce, butter and lemon juice.
- Add dry mix to wet, and gently fold until just combined.DO NOT OVER-MIX or protein powder will make the cake dense.
- Pour batter into pan.Batter should be ¾ way to the top (it will overflow if too much).Don’t let the batter sit out.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes.Toothpick inserted into the center should come out dry.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Frosting:
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients – Greek yogurt, protein powder, peanut butter powder and peanut butter.
- Let cake cool completely and then frost.
Notes
- Nutrition details are calculated using products recommended below.
- See post for alternate ingredients, tips and storage options.
- Quest Nutrition Chocolate Milkshake Protein Powder
- ProteinWorld Whey Protein Powder
- Use code HAYLSKITCHEN for 30% off your order
- Quest Nutrition Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
- Lakanto Peanut Butter Powder
- Use code HAYLSKITCHEN for 15% off your order
- American Dream Nut Butter Peanut Butter
- Use code HAYLSKITCHEN for 10% off your order
- Servings: 1 8” skillet | Serving size: ¼ skillet
- Calories: 165kcal
- Fat: 3.6g | Saturated fat: 0.9g
- Carbohydrates: 20.3g | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 3.4g
- Protein: 18.2g
Hey! I'm Haylee
Google Software Engineer
I use my passion for baking (and eating) to create healthy, high-protein, good-for-you and diet-friendly desserts and sweet treats that are actually delicious.
Come join me in Hayl's Kitchen and let's eat high protein, sweet and guilt free!